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Space X maintains secrecy over where it would display its much-famed Falcon 9 rocket stage

Submitted by Natalia Hall on Mon, 01/04/2016 - 15:57

Space X’s decision to turn Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage that made a historic landing last month as a display has raised a question for the company as to what made take this decision. On December 21 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, Space X has now given the historic landing of its Falcon 9 rocket.

Recovery of the first stage of Falcon 9 after launching 11 communication satellites to robot explained the first part of Space X of its future plans for reusability. The company has plains to refurbish and re-fly its stages to ultimately reduce the cost of access to space.

But Elon Musk, SpaceX's billionaire CEO and chief technology officer said that the Falcon 9 rocket's first stage that made the first of its kind landing is excluded from the aforementioned plan. Musk said that they would like to keep this rocket on the ground as it is unique for them.

On December 24, Thursday, the recovered stage became the first tenant of Space X’s new horizontal integration facility, a hanger erected at the entrance to Pad 39A. Musk said, “[We will] do a static fire at the launch pad there, to confirm that all systems are good and that we are able to do a full thrust hold-down firing of the rocket”.

The static fire will also assess the alterations Space X has made to Pad 39A and after that the stage will become a display piece. Musk affirmed that they want to keep the rocket on the ground for tests to prove that it could fly again and then put it somewhere just for the reason it is quite unique.

But for now, SpaceX has not unveiled where it would keep the rocket stage. There are chances that the rocket stage might get donated to the National Collection. It could also be taken to Space X’s mission control, which is in California. If Space X is fine with outdoor location to display the rocket stage then Rocket Garden is another option.

In other news Time reported, SpaceX successfully landed the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket at a landing pad in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Monday, after launching 11 satellites into orbit.

“The Falcon has landed,” a SpaceX commentator said on a live webcast, marking the first time in history a rocket delivered a payload into orbit and returned to earth with a gentle landing. Cheers of “U.S.A., U.S.A” followed the announcement.

In a statement provided to Gizmodo, this SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched a constellation of Orbcomm communications satellites into orbit on December 21, 2015. More impressively, the rocket’s first stage returned to Earth in a controlled landing, touching down ten minutes after launch at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Now we can bask in the rocket in all its grungy glory with sooty grey cut by the bright white of where landing gear added a protective covering.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage that made a historic landing in Florida after a launch last month survived the flight with no damage, clearing the way for ground tests, the company’s chief executive said.
In a Dec. 31 tweet, Elon Musk published a photo of part of the Falcon 9 first stage. “Falcon 9 back in the hangar at Cape Canaveral. No damage found, ready to fire again,” he wrote. The image, a closeup of part of the first stage, showed only superficial effects from the flight, such as discoloration from soot deposited by the rocket’s engine plumes, according to a report from the SpaceNews.